Q:How does it feel to be crowned this year’s Mr. Annandale?

A:It felt pretty fantastic to be crowned Mr. Annandale.

Q:How did you prepare for this competition?

A:I prepared most of my material the day of the competition. I just thought of things to do for each category and gathered my needed materials, then applied them to my acts.

Q:How long did it take you to prepare?

A:It took me a total of 2-3 hours to prepare.

Q:What inspired you to write your song?

A:I was inspired to write my song by my love for music and, most importantly, my love for AHS.

Q:Were you surprised you won?

A:I was surprised that I won because I thought that the other competitors did very well.

Q:How did you feel about your competition?

A:The other competitors were very creative and did very well in the competition.

Q:Did you enjoy the contest?

A:I had a blast during the contest. I had some awesome comrades to hang out with between and during acts, and I love to perform in front of crowds. I thoroughly enjoyed the competition.

There are three different cup sizes and you pay 39 cents for each ounce of frozen yogurt that you fill your cup up with. Sweet frog has a little over 40 different flavors that is depending on which shop you decide to go to.

“I like all the different flavors and the place is really cute and relaxing unlike other places where you just get the food and dip,” senior Anna Dinh said.

A couple of my personal favorites are mango and strawberry-kiwi with mango and kiwi fruit toppings and the New York cheesecake flavor with brownies, chocolate chips, and coconut sprinkles.

There are also tons of toppings that you can choose from to have your frozen yogurt just right for your kind of taste. Toppings vary from chopped fruits, chocolate bits, and all sorts of candy. They even include cereal toppings.

“At Sweet Frog, it’s fun to be able to choose from so many toppings and it all comes out so cheap,” senior Carina Linley said.

Most people have to get their frozen yogurt to go at most other shops but at Sweet berry, they have numerous seats so that you can actually sit down and enjoy your treat.

Location: 508-D S Van Dorn St

Alexandria, VA 22304

A close friend of Sebring’s, Swingle came to share his experiences as an actor to the new generation of learners and doers.

To begin the presentation, Swingle performed a segment of his one-man play “Beyond the Chariots,” a continuation of the Academy Award winning film, “Chariots of Fire”.

Swingle played Olympic runner Eric Liddell as a Christian missionary in war-torn China and an arrogant Chinese Boxer.

After his performance, Swingle described his journey to produce his play with slides and photos of the people he met and the sights he saw.

Notable slides included Swingle nearing the border of North Korea in a boat, attending the 2008 Olympics, and performing for financially struggling Filopinos in Hong Kong.

Swingle was proud of explaining how education, coincidences and connections made his career possible and enjoyable.

“The skills you learn stay with you forever. Love each [school] subject. Give your [dream] five years and see what happens.”

To read more about Rich Swingle, click here

On top of finishing up a new album, the young talent was just recently awarded the Washington Area Music Association’s (WAMA’s) Artist of the Year and Modern Rock Vocalist awards at the State Theatre on Sunday for her incredible contribution to the world of music. MacDonald has been part of the industry since she was 13, having released her first record at the tender age and continuing to become a powerful name and vocal powerhouse for the following years of her incredible career.

It’s hard to pinpoint what MacDonald’s music is exactly like. In fact, it is arguable to say that it is almost impossible to do so since she portrays such a powerful example of musicianship rarely seen in any day and age. Her commanding vocals almost haunt the listener as they resonate with the harmonies that she relays track by track with her very own loop pedal, concert by concert. MacDonald has the power to bewitch any audience she plays to, no matter what age, with a performance that impacts from the first note that comes out of her mouth.

With her incredible dedication, it is almost hard to believe that MacDonald still finds time to host Young Artist Showcases and open mics throughout the area as well as songwriter’s showcases at the Hard Rock Café. As her career continues to elevate day by day, MacDonald continues to be a role model for so many aspiring artists and is sure to be an artist to keep one’s eye on throughout the future of music.

Produced by Academy Award winning director Steven Spielberg, the show revolves around Karen (American Idol’s Katharine McPhee), an aspiring performing artist living with her politician boyfriend in the heart of New York City. Presented with the opportunity to try out for a new musical on Broadway revolving around Marilyn Monroe’s controversial life, Karen tries out for the role of Monroe. From the first audition, the audience follows Karen as she is greeted with the immediate hardships of an aspiring performing artist—many other talented artists popping in and out of the audition room, insensitive directors who could care less about personal conflicts, and the overall competitiveness of the industry.

Despite its likeness to “Glee” as main characters cover songs to emphasize their own personal conflicts, “Smash” takes a different turn as it relays a more realistic version of life for characters trying to make it on Broadway. But besides from covering songs, “Smash” also showcases original songs from the Broadway musical about Monroe that the show revolves around.

From the first episode, it is a hard not to be moved by various characters journeys on their navigation through putting the musical on, especially for someone who has dreamed of being part of this business in any way. The show produces a rational view on what the industry is like and how even with talent, nothing is guaranteed to happen for someone wishing for their big break.

Also starring Academy Award winning actress Angelica Houston and Will and Grace’s Debra Messing, the show is certain to continue to live up to its namesake as TV’s newest “smash” hit.

“I came for the food; I heard it would be great. Who doesn’t love a great breakfast?” Senior Suliman Mohmand said.

The refreshment included donuts, bagels, muffins, fruit, yogurt and Capri Suns. Some kids enjoyed the food so much that they returned for seconds.

Class President AJ Janwatin gave opening announcements and then handed the microphone over to Hook, who gave specific announcements about graduation and tickets to the graduation ceremony.

“You can only invite up to four people up to date, but I will let you know if the number increases,” Hook said.

Graduation is coming up in less than four months.

“Graduation is voluntary,” Hook reminded the students.

Nisker then spoke about the PTSA-sponsored All-Night Grad Party.

“We have added new events such as rock climbing and walking on water,” Nisker said.

Students had a positive reaction to this announcement.

“Prices will be $35 before the 28th of February, so get your tickets ASAP,” Nisker added.

At the end of the speech, many seniors clapped and cheered in anticipation of graduation and the celebration to follow.

Towards the end of the breakfast, a senior slide show prepared by senior James Bui was played for the students. Pictures included those taken at football games and other phtotos students submitted of both themselves and their friends. Most seniors laughed and smiled while reminiscing about the good times.

“My favorite part of the breakfast was seeing my fellow classmates enjoying breakfast together. We should do this sometime soon again,” senior Ahmad Haj Assaad said.

Throughout the event breakfast was being served to seniors in the cafeteria.

“I like the Elective Fair because it’s very helpful in getting to know the classes, since you can’t do that by just looking at the courses,” sophomore Alana Buto said.

Prior to the fair, students received a student course planning sheet to write down the classes they were interested in going to during the Elective Fair.

During this time the students picked four classes that they were interested in and may take next school year. They then got the chance to meet with the courses’ teachers and learn more about the classes during the event. The courses ranged from core classes to those concerning world languages, business and fine arts among others.

Students also got the chance to meet the teachers of academy classes and learn more about the classes and how they would run. The academy classes take place at Lake Braddock, Edison, Falls Church and Spring Valley.

Though there were many classes to choose from, one class was popular among most students. Psychology and IB Psychology were the classes that most students wanted to know more about. Each classroom filled up so quickly that most students were turned down and were told to come in the next session. For regular psychology, teachers stood in the hall to hand out a numbers, only allowing a certain number of students to enter.

“I think [psychology] is a popular class because students are curious about it and it’s a very interesting class,” psychology teacher Brian Dunnell said.

“The Elective Fair was great, it helped me decide on what elective I’m taking next year and it was fun,” freshman Samah Faris said.

The Elective Fair gave students a chance to learn about the many classes AHS has to offer and talk to teachers to see if their classes are right for them.

“It allows you to ask questions one-on-one with potential future teachers to better familiarize yourself with the classes,” sophomore Angelica Gonzalez said.

For the past decade, Houston’s drug use made her a frequent headliner, which many believed stemmed from the marriage of her then ex-husband Bobby Brown.

Even though Whitney had struggles with drugs, nobody could forget the stunning voice she had. Houston, known for her powerful vocals, left behind a great legacy. Whitney released her debut album at age 22 and racked up three number one singles. Whitney was then asked to act in a film titled “The Bodyguard.” The film starred Houston, as a popular singer that was being stalked, and included actor Kevin Costner, who played the role of her protective bodyguard.

Not only was the film a hit but “The Bodyguard” soundtrack was an even bigger hit. The soundtrack album sold 17 million copies worldwide with hit singles such as “I Have Nothing,” “Run to You,” and her most popular single, “I Will Always Love You.” Houston won two Grammy’s off the single “I Will Always Love You,” but those were not the only hit singles Whitney sang. She’s also performed other hit songs such as “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” “I’m Every Woman,” and more.

Whitney’s funeral will be held this Saturday Feb. 17. Many other celebrities are said to attend, and even performers such as Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, and many more. Even Houston’s co-star from “The Bodyguard,” Kevin Costner, is said to attend and deliver a speech. It looks to be a bittersweet event, for Houston was loved by many and will be missed.

During the competition, Deible was seen many times in scantily-clad outfits and even performed his own original song about AHS for the judges. Along with senior Cj Aftergut, senior Ahmed Bile, junior Hari Mizouri and junior Andy Riddle, when selected for the top five he was asked a question for the Mr. Intelligence portion of the night. He was asked what he would do if he saw someone being bullied.

“Well, there’s only one obvious answer to this question. Bullying is not tolerated in FCPS,” Deible said. “How would I stop it? I would stop it with my dominance, my dominance with words. Because violence is not okay.”

The other competitors have been preparing for this competition for a few weeks. Each brought their own unique spin to the competition.

“Well for the talent event, I’ll be beat-boxing,” senior Daniel Huynh said. “I’ll do my thing and hope for the best.”

The requirements for Mr. Annandale are strict; to participate, you must be either a junior or a senior and a male student of AHS. This year, ten AHS students are participating. They will be judged based on their elegance, physique and a special talent that each contestant will display.There were four faculty judges.

“It’s senior year and I wanted to have fun,” Huynh said. “And I thought Mr. Annandale would be fun.”